I had the most wonderfully redemptive unmedicated VBAC a few weeks ago, and it is difficult to…read moreoverstate how critical of a role Liat played in making that happen. My first birth had gone much differently than I had hoped (preterm labor that led to immediate C-section due to breech positioning). I had come to terms with that experience, but I was surprised to find in my second pregnancy that it would be difficult to escape those "labels" from my first pregnancy, making it harder to be given a fair shot at having a vaginal birth. Thankfully, I found Liat whose passion for VBACs is infectious and whose no-nonsense approach is grounding. In our conversations before the birth, my husband and I both appreciated the balance of her approach - she strongly believes in the benefits of physiologic birth, but she also recognizes there is a time and place for medical intervention. My primary hope for this birth was that I wouldn't undergo any interventions that I wasn't convinced I needed, and she was a trustworthy sounding board throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery to ensure that was the case. This time around, my baby decided to stay inside long past the due date, so I agreed with my provider that it would be a good idea to induce. This was pretty disappointing for me, but Liat was wonderful at helping me stay in a good headspace in those final days, checking in frequently via texts and calls. When it came time for delivery, she was every bit as exceptional as all her other reviews describe. When she arrived at the hospital, she took one look at me and knew exactly how to change my environment to help me relax. Sure enough, labor accelerated rapidly after she arrived. She massaged my back through every single contraction. She knew exactly what to say to keep my mind present and focused. When she was talking me through my contractions, they were noticeably more efficient. At one point, I almost wanted to give up and she knew exactly how to keep me going. And sooner than I could have dared hope, my baby arrived. I'm pretty sure I professed my love for Liat minutes after giving birth :) And just as she had been for the entire pregnancy and labor, she was a constant comfort and encouragement to us in the minutes, days, and weeks after the delivery as well. Liat takes absolutely no BS, but is also the warmest and most compassionate woman you've ever met. She's exactly who you want at your birth. I know I want her at my next one!

TLDR: Choosing to work with Liat was the best decision I made for my birth. I cannot recommend her…read moreenough and am already looking forward to working with her again. I worked with Liat for the birth of my first child earlier this year, hoping for an unmedicated delivery in a hospital setting. From our very first call, her deep understanding of the healthcare system -- where it excels and where it falls short for labor and delivery -- immediately put me at ease. I knew I'd be in good hands. In our two prenatal meetings, Liat taught my husband and me so much about approaching labor both mentally and physically. The sessions were eye-opening and genuinely prepared us for every scenario we might face. I took birth classes too, and while they were helpful, my time with Liat was by far the most valuable part of my birth education. When the day came, her support was nothing short of extraordinary. She monitored my contractions, came to both my home and the hospital, massaged me through every contraction, helped me reposition, and guided us in navigating the hospital staff with my birth preferences. For hours on end, she was warm, calm, and completely present. It's hard to put into words how deeply cared for I felt -- she has a rare gift for making people feel safe and at home during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. My birth went beautifully, exactly as I had hoped, and I owe so much of that to Liat. Both my husband -- a physician -- and I are certain we could not have had such a wonderful experience without her.

Due to my privileged position, and very personal experience with Silicon Valley doulas, I can tell…read moreyou it has been nothing short of exceptional since their inception. Czarina brings over 20 plus years of experience, extensive training, and a true passion for supporting families through one of life's most meaningful transitions -- welcoming a new baby. Her background covers everything from lactation consulting and sleep training to postpartum depression and psychosis support, patient advocacy, birth preparation, and more. She's worked with over 300 families over her career thus far, providing truly personalized and compassionate care each and every time. Her depth of knowledge about the birth journey, babies, and the postpartum period is remarkable, and she always approaches her work with professionalism, empathy, and a calm confidence and experience. One thing I respect deeply is her clarity and integrity when it comes to her business policies. She has a no-refund policy that's clearly stated in her contract (which is completely legal and standard for her field). The reason is simple and fair, much like many other businesses she reserves specific dates and times for the families she assists and does not take other clients during those scheduled sessions. When someone cancels or tries to back out of a contract she's already set aside that time, so it's clearly ethical that her time and commitment are respected. If you're looking for a highly skilled, knowledgeable, compassionate, empathetic doula who combines unmatched experience, professionalism, and genuine care, Czarina is the person you want by your side through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

TL;DR: Last-minute cancellations, fell asleep on duty watching our newborn, refused hands-on baby…read morecare, offered useless virtual support, prepaid for 13 nights, and refused refund. We're disputing the charges with our credit card company. Do not recommend. We hired Czarina for evening doula services shortly after welcoming our newborn, hoping for support and rest. Unfortunately, the experience caused us significantly more stress than doing it alone. The most alarming issue was that she repeatedly fell asleep snoring loudly while on duty watching our newborn. This happened on multiple visits. We could see and hear her sleeping, which meant that instead of resting, we stayed awake monitoring her to ensure our baby was safe. When we addressed this directly, her response was shocking: she claimed she was doing it to "train us to be better parents" and get us used to sleeping while the baby sleeps. As exhausted first-time parents, this felt unreassuring and completely unsafe. We hired a night doula to reduce anxiety, not to monitor the caregiver. Beyond the safety issues, basic doula duties were neglected: * Refusal of Care: She was unwilling to help wash the baby and unable to provide clear, hands-on guidance for newborn care. * Household Help: She provided little to no assistance with basic household tasks. * Ineffective Virtual Support: She attempted to substitute some support with "virtual" sessions, which offered zero value to us as parents who needed physical, hands-on help with a newborn during overnight hours. Her reliability was poor, with multiple last-minute cancellations and rescheduling. Most importantly, we prepaid for 13 nights of service. When we terminated the arrangement due to the safety concerns and poor service, she refused to provide a refund for the unused nights. We were forced to escalate this to our credit card company to try and recoup our funds. Czarina was pleasant to speak with initially, but her actions put our peace of mind at risk and violated our trust. If you are looking for reliable, hands-on postpartum care that allows you to rest, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Ask specific questions about staying awake during night shifts, hands-on newborn care (including bathing), refund policies, and what "virtual support" entails before hiring.

I cannot recommend Marilou at Doulas by the Bay highly enough. She was our postpartum night doula…read morefor the first few weeks after our son was born, and she was incredible. As new parents, the sleep deprivation is real, but knowing she was there allowed us to finally get the much-needed rest we required to function. Beyond just being a set of expert hands, she became a trusted guide for us and taught us invaluable newborn care tips that we still use daily. We trusted her implicitly with our baby from night one which was critical for us as anxious new parents. Marilou's calm, professional, and warm presence made us feel so at ease during a very vulnerable time. We truly loved our time with her and are so grateful for the care she provided. If you are looking for a doula who is knowledgeable, nurturing, and completely trustworthy, Marilou is amazing!

We had an incredible experience with Sally for our son from when he was 1-3 months. She was…read moreconsistently punctual, professional, and incredibly kind. Beyond just helping with night feeds, she took the initiative with bottles and laundry, which was a huge help to our family. We felt completely at ease knowing our little one was in such caring hands. In addition, she helped with sleep training. Additionally, the office staff was a pleasure to work with. They were extremely professional and maintained a quick turnaround time on all our requests and paperwork. We highly recommend this team for anyone looking for top-tier newborn care!

At the risk of sounding dramatic, Wendy and Kersti have changed my life. There's no other way I…read moreknow how to put it. I went into this pregnancy not knowing anything about pregnancy nor birth. I mean that - I'd never even held a baby before, and I'm in my thirties! I was nervous and knew I needed guidance. A close friend of mine referred them to me after she had her own positive experience delivering her first baby at the hospital (without an epidural). A delivery without an epidural sounded like a good idea, and if my friend can do it with their help, I felt SO COULD I! So I scheduled to meet them in person, and then Googled the definition of a doula because that's how foreign the birth world was to me. Fast forward to today, I am 3 months postpartum, and incredibly grateful to have had Wendy and Kersti there for me, as a first time mom home birth. They prepared me, a total pregnancy/birth newbie, to having a home birth! They are supportive with whatever birth plan you decide and will provide tons of resources and information to help you make an informed decision, on whatever you feel comfortable with. I appreciated that they are well balanced, and will present evidence based research, as well as speak from their own experiences, but never pushing their opinions upon you. After months of research, I made the decision to go forward with a home birth and it was the most magical experience of my life. It was relaxing, calm, stress-free, and I felt SO supported throughout my entire pregnancy journey, after birth, and ESPECIALLY during labor. Wendy was present during my labor. When she arrived it was like my guardian angel had arrived, and I was so happy to see her. She had lavender essential oils and her hands worked magic on me during the most intense contractions. The back massages helped me Soooo much and she did it for hours. She not only supported me, but also my husband, and she knew just what to say to keep me positive and relaxed, and knew how to direct my husband to help. She also took photos throughout the labor. It all happened so fast, so it was so fun to have photos to go back and relive the moments. I will cherish these photos forever. Thank you Wendy and Kersti for helping bring my baby boy to this world. I know without a doubt that I'd like them to be my doulas again for my future baby.

There are so many glowing reviews on here, but I feel like I have to add to the collection because…read moremy experience with Wendy and Kersti was truly life-changing. I am SO GRATEFUL for these two ladies that I just have to share my story!! We didn't hire a doula with our first child, who is now approaching his second birthday. My goal was to have an unmedicated birth and although I succeeded, the entire experience left me absolutely traumatized and panicked at the idea of having to ever go through that again. When we found out we were pregnant with our second child, I was so fearful about the birth I couldn't even speak about it without tearing up and feeling anxious all over. I had a hard time even getting excited about the pregnancy because it meant I had to give birth again, and I was terrified. This led my husband and I to being a search for a doula. My goal was once again to have an unmedicated birth, but I felt incapable of doing that without something being drastically different. Enter Wendy and Kersti. We met with this mother/daughter team over coffee and I quickly fell in love with them. Kersti had the recent experience of having given birth "without fear" herself and Wendy had this amazing mix of strength and confidence in her tone alongside a spirit of gentleness. We had met with a few other doulas in our search, but I constantly felt like they were all too soft-spoken/comforting/gentle and I needed someone a bit more direct alongside those qualities. Wendy was JUST that. :) We counted the cost as if it were a part of the hospital bill, because we knew to have the birth we wanted, it would require an investment. IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY!! Over the course of the next few months, we developed a great relationship with Wendy and Kersti. They answered all of our questions with evidence-based research that consistently put my mind at ease. They also gave me a lot of natural methods to prepare both my mind and my body for birth. It took a few months, but through conversations with th, I started to feel more confident and prepared for birth. THEN THE BIG DAY CAME! :) I started having contractions one morning about 12-15 minutes apart and that went on all day. They were mild and I wasn't sure if it was labor or not (my first child was induced), so I stayed in constant text/phone communication with Wendy throughout the day. Finally, when they started getting closer at around 3:30pm, we headed to the hospital and met Wendy in the parking lot. I can't even express to you the relief that washed over me seeing her face. This amazing woman, who had been coaching me for months, met me with a smile and confidence in that parking lot as we walked into the hospital -- almost like we were ready for the big game. We checked in and she immediately started diffusing essential oils, helping me get comfortable, massaging my feet, turning on music and fielding questions from the nurses as I went through contraction after contraction. My contractions were intensifying quickly and Wendy was RIGHT there every second of the way, offering new positions, ideas, distractions and support to keep me going. She knew exactly when she needed to intercede to help me more and when she needed to take a back seat and support my husband Dan as he came alongside me. Within 2.5 hours, I went from 4.5 centimeters to holding my sweet baby boy in my arms. I can confidently say that my birth was beautiful -- something I felt like I would never be able to say and something I contribute HUGELY to this team of incredible women. I am positive the reason I progressed so quickly and smoothly was because I felt relaxed, supported, confident and READY to deliver my baby. After feeling nothing but panic, dread and fear with my first birth, this was life-changing for me. I felt IN CONTROL and SUPPORTED my entire labor and knew I was capable of delivering my baby boy--who ended up being 9 lbs and 3 oz! We also have incredible photos of some special moments during the birth, thanks to Wendy. Whew! So much to say, and I could say more!! All that to express to you that these women are worth gold. If you are hoping to have a positive birth experience and especially if you want to do it medication-free, I would say with confidence HIRE WENDY & KERSTI! We will definitely be using them again with future kiddos! :)

We're so grateful for our amazing night doula, Aishling M. She was kind, calming, knowledgeable,…read moreand such a huge support during those exhausting newborn weeks. Knowing our baby was in such loving hands helped us actually rest. She cared for our baby with so much love and professionalism, we are endlessly grateful for her time with our family. We'd recommend her wholeheartedly to any family!

Our experience with Susy R from Bay Area Night Doulas was incredible!…read more She takes her job very seriously and from day 1 I felt like my son was in the best care with her. She also really prioritizes the needs and healing of mothers and Susy did everything she could do create a caring, judgment free and calm environment in my first few postpartum weeks. Susy was also a great help with dishes, laundry, kitchen cleanup, etc which was so valuable for taking something off our plate and really enjoying those precious newborn moments with our son. She is also a joy to be around! I truly looked forward to her coming and felt so comfortable with her in our home. I'd highly recommend Susy to anyone looking for a caring, responsible, and compassionate night doula!

My first birth I had hoped for an unmedicated experience, but an induction led to things getting…read moreout of my control. The only thing I knew I wanted to do different the next time was hire a doula. My second pregnancy, we hired Megan. I had a lot of caveats, and she was willing to step up to the plate. Our free visits and phone conversations prior to the birth allowed her to understand the family dynamic, and offer reassurance that she would be there to help me advocate for myself during the birth, and that she understood all my desires. The second birth started unexpectedly, 6 days before her due date. My partner was working quite far away when my water broke, so I called Megan who came over right away to drive me to the hospital. I was nonchalantly eating a bowl of soup and not even packed for the hospital, but she was monitoring my contractions and calmly pushing me to head to the hospital and for my partner to meet us there. Once there, the contractions were so intense I couldn't talk. Every time the nurses came in to do something to me that I didn't want - but I couldn't communicate it through the intensity of the contractions... She calmly stated that she knew I didn't want that, and asked if that was accurate - to which I could nod my head to confirm. Without overstepping, she was able to be my voice when things were too intense to talk. After only 3.5 hours of labor my baby girl was born naturally as I had hoped. Megan stayed awhile to make sure we were well taken care of, and got settled into our recovery room. In the weeks afterwards she followed up with us, and even came over one day to wear my baby as I got a massage. She has become a dear friend through this experience, and I know that things wouldn't have been the same if she hadn't have been there to her my voice when I had no words. With such a short labor, we had not much time for pain relief measures, yoga balls, massage, or what have you. But the experience of having someone there to be my voice when I had none, to communicate my preferences when I couldn't, to be calm when my partner and I weren't... That is a piece of mind that money can't buy. I'm so happy we chose to have Megan on board.

Megan was such a great help with the birth of our son. She has a sweet disposition with just the…read moreright amount of "take no shit" attitude that you need to deal with pushy nurses in a hospital setting. She was a trooper, she spent 15 hours at the hospital with us durning my active labor, didn't sleep, and hardly took a break. She was a strong advocate, helping us stick to our birth plan and not letting us get coerced into unnecessary interventions. Eventually I did end up getting an epidural because my son was posterior and diagonal and I was having back labor and he needed to be turned internally, but Megan helped me make it very far into my labor with hopes that he would turn on his own, unfortunately that didn't happen and I did not have the natural birth that I planned but I definitely wouldn't have been able to try so hard if it weren't for Megan's support. She was also great at our prenatal meetings. She's super informative and brings tons of great stuff in her labor care packages to help you before, during and after labor! The best thing of all being the tens unit, I swear that little device could have gotten me through natural childbirth if only my son weren't malpositioned! We also had her do my placenta incapsulation. She makes a beautiful print with the placenta, umbilical cord keepsake, and a tincture. I feel the placenta capsules really helped me feel better. Shes a wonderful doula and sweet person. I highly recommend her, especially if it's your first baby or if you have a nervous husband! We will hire her again in a heartbeat if we have another baby!

Tamra is an exceptional postpartum doula -- warm, professional, and deeply knowledgeable. She…read moresupported my recovery after a C-section, guided us through feeding and newborn care, and helped our baby catch up on her growth after losing over 10% leaving the hospital. Thanks to her evidence-based guidance and personalized support, our baby was ahead of the growth curve by all measures at two weeks and one month -- and we're off to a brighter, more confident start as parents. Tamra is also extremely resourceful, connecting us with her trusted network of professionals, including lactation consultants, exactly when we needed them. She's punctual, cooperative, and inclusive -- my mother doesn't speak English, yet Tamra built a beautiful friendship with her and empowered us to care for the baby as a team. Her calm presence, reliability, and expert insight made all the difference in our first six weeks. I can't recommend Tamra highly enough -- she's a truly outstanding doula and a wonderful human being.

Tamra was an incredible support during my postpartum period. She was always gentle, intuitive, and…read morerespectful of my needs and our family's routines. Whether it was helping with my baby's sleep cues, preparing meals, or just being a non-judgmental presence when I needed to cry, she was exactly what I needed. Her knowledge about postpartum recovery and infant care was reassuring. She is very knowledgeable and she knows a lot about child development and mental health as well. I felt more confident and less alone thanks to her. I would absolutely work with her again and recommend her to any new parent!!! She is the best!!!!

This review is a bummer to write, but after reading other reviews about communication delays and…read moreissues on the administrative end, it's clear i'm not the only one experiencing this issue and something needs to be seriously addressed. Alicia herself is wonderful, and we used her for placenta encapsulation in 2019. We had an overall good experience, so as we are nearing the birth of our 3rd baby, I reached back out to Alicia as a return client looking for placenta encapsulation again. It took 4 days to get an initial response to my email. Julia (Alicia's assistant) reached out to let me know Alicia is on maternity leave and had a few clarification questions to get the ball rolling with another doula. Unfortunately, I never heard from Julia or anyone else again. I've since left a voicemail and 4 follow-up emails with no response. If Born Doulas is too busy to accept me as a client, I would have appreciated hearing that upfront vs. just ghosting me, especially as a returning client. These types of customer service issues are just unacceptable, and if you are looking for a doula or placenta encapsulation company during the very delicate time of pregnancy and delivery, I recommend looking elsewhere and finding a company that cares about communication.

I can't begin to describe how wonderful, passionate, caring and knowledgeable Alicia is! From the…read morebeginning she guided us during the pregnancy, had many great tips for me, and helped me make my (right) big decisions towards the end. My birth story took longer than we expected, 40+ hours and Alicia was so supportive and strong even till the last seconds, let me correct that, even after the birth! Her stamina throughout the 40+ hours is just amazing! She was always there reassuring me that everything is going well, and making sure I'm hydrated and nourished to go on with the big game. This alone makes me want to tell every women, regardless how supportive your husband is, you still need a doula 100% especially Alicia 10000%! Before and after the birth I had many complications, that caused me to be hospitalized right after my birth, so my newborn was left with my clueless husband and mother. Alicia right away came over and helped them in so many ways, guiding and teaching them how to take care of our baby. She kept checking in on me before and after the birth regarding my condition, and helped me in all kinds of ways, sending over wonderful people to help with my condition, etc. We are eternally grateful to you Alicia! Baby M sending all his love!

Viji is truly one of a kind. Every mother deserves someone like her by their side during their…read morebirth journey. After a traumatic first pregnancy and postpartum preeclampsia, I was considered high-risk during my second pregnancy as well. Around 32 weeks, I started seeing elevated blood pressure readings along with severe white coat syndrome. I was anxious and searching for support, and that's when I found Viji. Even before our first consultation, I had a strong feeling that she was God-sent -- a true blessing -- and that feeling only grew stronger with time. Viji stepped in with so much calm, confidence, and care. She took everything upon herself and made sure I was prepared in every possible way -- physically, mentally, and emotionally. She guided me through provider decisions, helped me find the right midwifery care, and thoughtfully connected me with an exceptional midwife, Lin Lee, who aligned perfectly with my needs. Because of Viji's discernment and support in building the right team around me, my entire experience was completely different from my first pregnancy. The birth itself felt smooth and empowering -- no tears, no episiotomy, and my blood pressure remained well controlled throughout. What truly sets Viji apart is how deeply she cares and how holistic her approach is. She took the time to understand my full medical history and personal background, worked to get to the root of my previous complications, and helped me navigate provider complexities with clarity and confidence. She also combined her Jyotish knowledge to help identify the most supportive and auspicious timing for my induction, which brought me an incredible sense of peace and trust going into labor. During labor, Viji was there through it all. She supported me with Ayurvedic care, calming massages, constant reassurance, and gentle guidance. She made sure I was comfortable, grounded, and never felt alone. She even stayed with me through the entire night -- watching over me, advocating for me, and helping me make important decisions when I was exhausted and vulnerable. Because of Viji, my second birth experience became healing, empowering, and beautiful. She didn't just help me prepare for birth -- she helped me heal from my past experience and trust my body again. I will always be grateful for her presence, her wisdom, and the love she brought into one of the most important moments of my life. I thank God every day for leading me to her at exactly the right time.

I have been working with Viji since 2023 and can confidently say that the work I've done with her…read morehas been truly transformative... far beyond anything I ever expected. I first came to Viji as a very anxious and overwhelmed mother, desperately trying to stay afloat in the struggles of parenthood. At the time, I had no idea what I was getting into, but I just knew I needed help. From day one, Viji completely blew me away with her depth of knowledge, insight, and intuition. Beyond that, she is incredibly caring and consistently goes above and beyond to support her clients. Through our work together, I've gained a deeper understanding of my inner makeup, which has empowered me to take greater control of my life and has profoundly impacted how I show up as a mother and wife. My mind was truly blown when she began incorporating Ayurveda and Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) to help explain what I was experiencing physically, emotionally, and energetically, and to guide how I move through my life. I have also integrated therapeutic bodywork and the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) into my work with Viji, which has only deepened the healing process. The way she thoughtfully weaves together her diverse offerings is incredible and deeply supportive. She is truly a one-stop shop for healing on every level. I am deeply grateful for the care, insight, and dedication she has brought to my journey. Viji is absolutely amazing, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. My only regret is not starting this work with her sooner.

Going into my first pregnancy I knew I needed some extra help in addition to having my husband…read morethere. I was going to deliver at Kaiser and knew I wanted an experienced Doula that could be with me from start to finish. Felissa was just that and more! My husband and I felt very comfortable with Felissa from the first time we met her she's very sweet and motherly but also very motivating which is very comforting when you're in a lot of pain! The warming pad, tens unit and massages she did on my back were amazing during the contractions. She was also very helpful in helping us make decisions during labor and letting us know what the Doctors were doing. This definitely helped us feel a whole lot better during some important decisions. I highly recommend Felissa, she's very knowledgeable in what she does and is a great support to have during the most important thing a woman has to do.

Simply Amazing! Felissa is the perfect 10 "doula" for the birth of our child. We delivered our baby…read morein Kaiser Redwood City and she was extremely phenomenal in guiding us through the labor and birthing process. With her amazing support, we count ourselves fortunate to have a healthy delivery with 100% natural child birth. No IV line, no blood test, No Pitocin, No pain medication, No intervention whatsoever. In the two pre-natal visits, she gave us great tips and demonstrated various exercises such as pelvic rocking, squatting, and Kegel exercises to help prepare the mother physically and emotionally. When my water broke and my labor started (around 12:45 AM) , she picked up her phone instantly offering us guidelines on what to expect and guiding us through the process. She helped us during our 10+ hours labor. We used her TENTS unit for helping to alleviate the pain and many hot water showers sessions. We did a lot of walking, squatting, all-four position and many others to help progress the labor. We read the two books "Ina May Gaskin's guide to Natural Childbirth" and "The Bradley Natural Childbirth". She helped complement our knowledge with practical information from her wealth of experience. We are so lucky to have her as our doula and we are forever grateful for her patience, support, and compassion in helping us deliver our baby healthily and naturally.